Weapons in Grand Theft Auto use a small firearm inventory built around crate pickups and drops from defeated characters, with the unarmed punch as the default when no firearm is selected.
Category
Sidearm
Pistol options for the first slot when you need a light, mobile firearm.
Pistol
- Weapon class
- Sidearm
- Slot
- 1
- Acquisition
- Crate pickup and ped drop
Category
Automatic weapon
Rapid fire choice for holding a position or clearing a crowd.
Machine Gun
- Weapon class
- Automatic weapon
- Slot
- 2
- Acquisition
- Crate pickup and ped drop
Category
Heavy weapon
High impact tools for vehicles and barricaded targets where you trade control for power.
Rocket Launcher
- Weapon class
- Heavy weapon
- Slot
- 3
- Acquisition
- Crate pickup and ped drop
Flamethrower
- Weapon class
- Heavy weapon
- Slot
- 4
- Acquisition
- Crate pickup and ped drop
How the set fits together
Slots decide what you can carry at once, so check the slot on the row before you head into a mission that strips weapons on arrest. Heavy arms are strongest but they are also the hardest to keep between jobs.
Finding and keeping firearms
Street crates, defeated characters and a few fixed map spots provide most pickups. Heavy weapons tend to sit in riskier spots, so plan a route that collects them early and keep a clean save if you are chasing Kill Frenzy targets. Losing weapons when busted is the most common setback, so avoid police attention right after you stock up.
FAQ
Why is the unarmed punch not shown as a weapon row?
The punch is the default attack when no firearm is selected and it has no inventory slot or pickup, so the inventory focuses on firearms only.
Do weapons stay after being busted?
No. An arrest can remove firearms, so stock up close to the job and avoid police until you are done.
Where do crates appear?
Crates appear on streets and inside mission areas and can be broken open on foot or from a vehicle, with the same firearms also dropping from defeated characters.